It all started when…
Fall semester, sophomore year… So began an incredible journey with an organization that defined my college experience. Walking down Sproul Plaza, taking a flyer, attending a welcome session, I was hooked. No other organization on the Cal campus provided the depth, variety, and autonomy to explore your professional, creative, and academic pursuits. As an organization that provides free talks, debates, and panels to the greater Berkeley community on a broad variety of topics in STEM, the arts, culture, politics, etc., I felt that in some way, in 5 short semesters, I had made a difference.
All in the name of providing a platform for productive discourse on a campus at the epicenter of the Free Speech Movement, The Berkeley Forum became a haven during polarizing times. More than a way to explore my diverse interests in speaking, event managing, marketing, and press relations, I have to thank this org for allowing me to find a family while simultaneously growing my passion for thought leadership and the exchange of ideas.
Moderating
A Panel on Keeping the Arts Alive – More details here
Mythili Prakash | Bharata Natyam Classical Dancer
A modern young Indo-American woman, Mythili affirms the relevance of Bharata Natyam, a classical Indian Dance form with ancient roots, in society today.
More details here.
Speaker Management
Don Carson | Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering
Former Senior Show Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering, Don Carson had directed projects like Splash Mountain, Mickey’s Toontown, and Blizzard Beach. Following his time as an Imagineer, Carson has applied his design skills to computer games, the theater, and other media. Carson’s focus is bringing design principles, such as the uses and advantages of composition which allow the artist to control the audience’s attention, to projects all over the world.
More event details here.
The Future of Our Planet: A Panel on Climate Change
We hosted a panel that discussed the role of the United States in international and domestic climate change policy in both the immediate and long term future.
Panel details here.
Carey Perloff | A.C.T Artistic Director
A.C.T. artistic director and award-winning playwright Carey Perloff suggests, the theater should serve as “connective tissue” between the stage and the real world (LA Times). Perloff came to discuss, from both a local and national perspective, some of the pressing issues in American theater today, including the role of theater in regards to technology, politics, and diversity.
More details here.
